Description:

Morbihan means 'little sea' in Breton and refers to the main feature of the departments coastline; the unusual landlocked sea the Morbihan Gulf.   It is the only French department which has no French name and the only one to have kept its original ancient name.

 

Morbihan is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790.

 

The region is most well known for its huge number of menhirs and dolmen making it one of the most significant megalithic sites in the world which is thought to more than match Stonehenge in the UK.

 

 

Geography

 

Morbihan is the western most region of France.  It is bordered to the north by the department Cotes d’Armor, to the east by the Ille et Vilaine and the region of Pays de la Loire to the South.

 

The capital of the department is Vannes although its largest and most populated town is Lorient. 

 

Morbihan is most known for its fine sandy beaches and rugged coastline which stretches for over 800 km as well as the many islands dotted along the coast.  Noone knows for sure how many islands the department actually has - estimates range from 43 to 365 depending on the definition of an island!  Most of the islands are privately owned, many by film stars and fashion designers, but both l'Ile aux Moines and l'Ile D'Arz are public.

 

 

Climate

 

Morbihan enjoys a more favourable climate than the rest of Brittany due to the Gulf Stream.  The summers in the department are warm and the winters are mild.  Consequently the region is lush and green with many plants thriving here which would not survive in the south of France.

 

 

Tourism

 

Morbihan has an abundance of holiday accommodation to suit all personal needs and budgets.

 

The department has over 800km of coastline and so many visitors come to Morbihan for its great beaches and watersports.  The beaches are perfect for families.

 

Some of the main attractions in Morbihan include the Cite de la Voile Eric Tabarly, the Vannes Aquarium and the butterfly museum,  La Papillonneraie.  Other places worth a visit include the Lorient submarine base, St Pierre cathedral and the many islands along the coast.

 

Morbihan has festivals and events which attract visitors from all over the world including the 'Festival de Kerhery', the 'Festival Interceltique', 'Foire aux Oiseaux', 'Kan ar Bobl', 'Festival de Rock',  'Festi’ Vannes', 'Le Salon du Livre de Bretagne', 'Fetes historiques de Vannes', 'Jazz a Vannes' and the 'Fetes d’Arvor'.

 

 

Sports and other Activities

 

With its long coastline and the warm winds from the Atlantic Morbihan is the perfect setting for many sailing races including the Ouest-France Bouygues Telecom SPI, the Gulf Week, the Claire Fontaine Trophee and the Mille Sabords show.

 

On the many beaches you can also find great facilities for kayaking, sand yachting , windsurfing and diving.

 

Popular land based sports include Hiking, Golf, Cycling and Horseriding.

 

 

Economy

 

The average household income in Morbihan is 14,276 € per year which is only slightly lower than the national average of 15,027 € per year.

 

Morbihan’s main activities are agriculture, fishing and tourism.  There is also an aeronautic industry in nearby Nantes and submarines are built at the base in Lorient.

 

 

Transport

 

The main airport within Morbihan is at Lorient which provides flights to Ireland.  For flights to the UK Rennes airport is just 100km from Vannes.  The department does not have a ferry port with routes direct to the UK  although both Roscoff port and Saint Malo port are in comfortable driving distance. 

 

Most of Morbihan is serviced by a well connected train station.  A direct route from Vannes to Paris is available in 3 hours.

 

 

More Information

 

Articles and further information is available on all of the following towns and villages in Morbihan;

 

 

Arrondissements

 

Lorient

 

Pontivy

 

Vannes

 

 

Cantons

 

Allaire

 

Auray

 

Baud

 

Belz

Guemene Sur Scorff

Hennebont

Josselin

 

 

Do you know the Morbihan better than we do?  Please leave any comments, suggestions or advice to fellow readers below.